Large and heavy, requiring considerable strength to lift or move. Can also describe something substantial in amount, cost, or degree.
From the verb 'heft' (to lift or carry) plus the suffix '-y', meaning 'characterized by weight'. 'Heft' itself comes from 'heave', suggesting the effort required to lift something substantial.
The word carries a tactile memory - you can almost feel the strain in your muscles when you hear it. This embodied quality makes 'hefty' more vivid than simple synonyms like 'heavy' or 'large', because it implies human interaction with weight.
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